Flow Rate and Composition of Whole Saliva in Rural and Urban Tanzania with Special Reference to Diet, Age, and Gender

Abstract

The association of flow rate and biochemical and microbiological characteristics of saliva with diet was studied in 83 12-year-old children and in 127 adults (84 in the age group 35–44 years, 43 in the age group 65–74 years) living in rural and urban communities in Tanzania. No significant differences were observed between the salivary flow rates of the rural and urban subjects. The mean salivary flow rates were slightly lower in women than in men and significantly lower in the 12-year-old children than in the two older age groups (p < 0.05). The buffer effect was higher in the rural than the urban population. Further, it was lower in women than in men (p < 0.001). Salivary protein, IgG, and sialic acid concentrations were significantly higher in the rural than in the urban population, whereas amylase activity and IgA concentrations were lower. Microbiological studies showed mutans streptococci in 97% of the rural and in 91% of the urban subjects (n.s.). Lactobacilli grew significantly less often in the rural than urban samples (p < 0.01). Analyses of 24-hour dietary recalls showed that the rural and urban diets differed. The proteins in the rural diet were largely of plant origin, while in the urban diet animal proteins dominated. The rural diet contained also less sucrose but more fibre (mainly from grain) than the urban diet. Intake of energy and protein were for some subjects slightly below the recommended dietary allowances in both rural and urban groups, but none of the study subjects showed clinical signs of malnutrition. Our results suggest that differences in the composition of saliva in rural and urban Tanzanians are more closely associated with differences in absolute and relative amounts of nutrients than with the energy content of diet. The high buffer effects of saliva in the Tanzanian subjects appear to be associated with their exceptionally grain fibre rich diet.

Flow Rate and Composition of Whole Saliva in Children from Rural and Urban Thailand with Different Caries Prevalence and Dietary Intake

“…In this latter study, the authors also postulated that low salivary flow rate may predict a low buffer value, but that a high flow rate cannot predict a high buffer value. In our study, we found a positive correlation of flow rate and buffer capacity, which was similar to the results found by Mazengo et al [1994] and Wikncr and Söder [1994], The children in Bang kok had significantly lower salivary calcium and phosphate levels than the children in Khon Kaen. This supported the results of Shaw et al [1983], who found higher mean con centration levels of calcium and phosphorus in unstimulat ed submandibular and sublingual saliva from children aged 13-15 years, particularly in the dental caries-free group compared with the high dental caries group, although only with phosphorus did the difference become significant at the 95% confidence level.…”

“…The mean of buffer capacity as measured as end pH was lower than the result of the study done by Johansson et al [1994] and Mazengo et al [1994], but was about the same as the result from a study by Wikncr and Söder [1994]. In this latter study, the authors also postulated that low salivary flow rate may predict a low buffer value, but that a high flow rate cannot predict a high buffer value.…”

An in vivo investigation of associations between saliva properties, caries prevalence and potential lesion activity in an adult UK population

“…[16][17][18][19][20] Only one report has shown a positive correlation between a low buffering capacity and caries activity but this analysis was subjective and operatordependent. 17 The advent of a simple chairside saliva check kit (GC Saliva check, GC Corp., Belgium) analysing levels of labial hydration of unstimulated saliva, the resting pH, volume of stimulated saliva and its buffering capacity together with the development of the new visual indices, creates the potential for using these markers to predict lesion activity.…”

Avaliação do PH Salivar em Indivíduos de Diferentes Faixas Etárias

“…Há um consenso na literatura de que o pH bucal, em média, varia entre 6,8 e 7,2 nas diferentes populações do mundo, com pequenas alterações para baixo ou para cima, independente da idade (KIDD, FEJERSKOV, 2004 Os resultados obtidos neste estudo para pH salivar foram ainda menores do que os valores observados em outros estudos similares (JOHANSSON et al, 1994;MAZENGO et al, 1994) porém estão dentro dos limites descritos na literatura (FEJERSKOV, 2004). Sabe-se que um volume constante de saliva na boca contribui decisivamente para a manutenção do pH salivar.…”